Kwon Rho-Gap Must Reveal Sources of His Political Funds

With regard to the public confession of Kim Keun-Tae, the Supreme Council member of the New Millennium Democratic Party, that he had spent 245 million won of illegal political fund for the Supreme Council campaign during the NMDP national convention on August 30, 2000, the Grand National Party urged the prosecution for immediate investigation on the case.

In addition, Kwon Rho-Gap, former Supreme Council member, revealed that he had supported Supreme Council member Chung Dong-Young as well in addition to Mr. Kim with 20 million won, spreading the controversies about the sources of his political fund.

GNP held a presidential meeting and urged that “the confession of Supreme Council member Kim clearly revealed the corrupted competitions among the Presidential runners in NMDP. The investigation must focus on Mr. Kwon who delivered the money to Mr. Kim.”

Rep. Nam Kyung-Pil, the spokesperson of GNP, insisted that “the rumor about the Mr. Kwon`s political fund turned out true. Mr. Kwon must reveal how much money he collected from where and whom he had supported by now.”

In response, Lee Nak-Yeon, the spokesperson of NMDP, “the National Election Commission will decide whether Mr. Kim violated the political fund law. GNP must confess and take responsibility for that the party collected over 100 billion won from business through National Tax Service during the Presidential election in 1997 and it also misappropriated much more than 100 billion won from the budget of National Security Planning during the national election in 1996.”

Han Kwang-Ok, the chairperson of NMDP, tried to defend him from the GNP`s attack, saying “the confession of Mr. Kim was made from his royalty to accomplish a clean and transparent presidential competition at this time.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Rhee In-Jae revealed his position concerning the political fund at a discussion of the runners for the presidential election “to follow the party`s regulation and standard about the publication of political fund when it is prepared,” anticipating more publications of the political funds by the presidential runners.

In-Soo Song issong@donga.com · Young-Chan Yoon yyc11@donga.com